The Way We Were Made
by kennagirl
Summary: They're puzzle pieces. Individually, they're a little strange and no one quite understands them. Together, everything fits and they just work.
1. And We Do

"As none of you have been Nationals bound before, I have an information packet for each of you." Rachel grabbed the papers off the desk to hand them out.

Rory raised his hand. "Why isn't Blaine here?"

"Blaine and I have already discussed this." She turned pages in her own copy. "Inside, you'll find vocal exercises and dance stretches that it would be wise to do. I know many of our teammates don't do them with my diligence, but they are helpful even in small doses. Also, there are lists of discouraged food and drink, as well as recipes for better options."

"Why can't I have milk?" Joe asked.

"Milk clogs your vocal chords and makes your voice phlegmy. Try one of the herbal teas instead. They are delicious and have a number of additional health benefits." Softening out of dictator mode, Rachel shut the packet. "On the last page, you'll find a list of phone numbers from everyone in the club, in case you're missing any. If you need anything, call."

Sugar cocked her head. "Like what?"

"Advice, tutoring, someone to listen, a change of clothes after being slushied, anything." Rachel smiled. "We look out for each other here."


	2. The Whisper in the Wind

Sitting next to Blaine in English was usually fun, but sometimes he distracted Tina. They would pass notes back and forth about the latest gossip, and reality TV, all while trying to keep up with _The Scarlet Letter_.

She was analyzing some symbolism when a square of paper landed on her desk.

_What am I going to do when Kurt leaves?_

Tina sighed, scribbling something in hopes that it would soothe his current worst fear.

**Same thing I'll do when Mike leaves. Watch crappy movies and eat ice cream.**

_You gonna do it with me?_

She smiled. **Wouldn't miss it.**


	3. You Think You're Something Else

Mercedes was looking over sheet music for the solo she was presenting in glee when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned her head to be face to very close face with Sugar. "Girl, have you heard of personal space?"

"I love your hat, where did you get it?"

Touching the leopard faux fur trim, she said, "A friend of my grandma's makes them, so she ordered it for my birthday."

"Do you think he could make me a dozen by my party?"

"That's next weekend!"

Sugar blinked. "But I have money."

Mercedes shook her head. "Keep dreaming, girl."


	4. Every Day Is a Revolution

"Now we need to connect the temporal displacement mechanism to the spatial conservation apparatus. Can you hand me one of those turny things with an x on it?"

Sam looked up from where he was digging in Brittany's toolbox. "What kind of thing?"

She crossed to the table and pulled out a screwdriver. "This one."

"You mean a Phillip's head?"

"Who's Phillip?"

"Never mind," he said, going back to organizing. "So what's next?"

"I have to make sure the fridge with all the astronaut food will work."

"What about the flux capacitor?"

Brittany glared at Sam. "Stop making things up."


	5. She's Five Foot Four and Fun to Kiss

"Noah!" Puck rolled his eyes and continued down the hall. "Noah, don't you walk away from me!"

"What do you want, Berry?"

She scurried up beside him, short skirt swaying with speed. "Where were you yesterday?"

"I was busy."

"Busy? We're going to Nationals, Noah. There's no-"

"Visiting Beth."

Rachel's mouth snapped shut. "Oh."

"Yeah. Oh." He shrugged. "Sorry I skipped, but, priorities, you know?"

"Absolutely," she said, nodding as the bell rang. "Update me at movie night tonight?"

Puck threw an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side to walk her to class. "It's a date."


	6. She Can't Get Enough

It wasn't often that Quinn let anyone but her mother see her looking less than her best. When she opened her front door on Saturday night though, she wore sweats and a smile.

"You bring the snacks?"

Mike grinned back and held up a plastic grocery bag. "Popcorn, Milk Duds, and gummy worms."

She stood aside and let him in, following him the kitchen. "I have root beer and ice cream so we can do floats at the midnight break." Grabbing a bag of gummy worms, she hopped up onto the counter. "Tonight's line up is great. Svengoobles never disappoints."


	7. Justice Is the One Thing

Turning the corner to see a letterman jacket cornering some smaller kid wasn't an unfamiliar sight for Kurt, but always unwelcome. Steeling himself, he strode up to the mullet headed man.

"You should take a step back. I think you're in his personal space."

The jock sneered as he turned. "Could say the same about you, freak."

Before Kurt could respond, a voice spoke behind him. "Hey, why don't you get out of here?"

Seeing the tables had turned, the jock scoffed and walked away. Kurt looked at the person behind him. "Thanks for the assist."

Rory smiled. "Any time."


	8. We'd Get Along Just Fine

"Finnocence!"

Against his better judgment, Finn turned towards Santana's voice. "What's up?"

"I helped you pick out a gift for your premature fiance, and now it's time to return the favor." She crossed her arms, uncomfortable. "I want to get Britt something special for our anniversary, but I'm out of ideas. The girls couldn't keep a secret and Puckerman would say sex toys, so you're my best option."

Finn smiled widely. "Really?"

"Don't let it go to your head," she scoffed. "You owe me."

"Fair enough." He shut his locker. "Meet at the mall after school? I have some ideas."


	9. Scrub Me Down, Dress Me Up

As one of two people in the choir room who showed up early for practice, Artie felt obligated to make conversation. "So, what do you like to do for fun?"

Joe looked up in surprise. "Um, play my guitar, read. Normal stuff."

"You play video games?"

He shrugged. "Sure. Some of them have too much senseless violence in my opinion, but I like others."

"Mario Kart?"

Joe's eyes lit up. "It's one of my favorites."

Artie nodded. "Want to join the guys' game night? We're having an epic tournament this week."

"Sounds like fun. Text me the details?"

"Will do."


	10. I've Got Your Number

Kurt was sipping coffee and Sam scarfing down a bowl of corn flakes at the kitchen table when Finn and Puck stumbled down the stairs. Kurt raised an eyebrow as his brother opened the fridge and stared blankly.

"Freezer," Kurt reminded him.

Finn shut the fridge and opened the upper door, only to have Puck snag the Eggos from right in front of his face. Sam snorted as Finn pouted, then dive bombed to grab the box back. "My house, my waffles."

"Dude, I'm a guest, back off."

"You came over last night without asking and then just didn't leave," Sam reminded him. "That's not a guest, that's home invasion." He took another bite. "Where did you sleep anyway?"

Puck grumbled, but didn't give a real answer. Kurt gave it for him. "He climbed into my bed at two in the morning and told me to budge over because Finn was snoring."

"You hit me in the face with a pillow!"

"Your feet were cold!"

Finn took advantage of the distraction to get the waffles back from Puck and pop some into the toaster. At Puck's shocked face, he said, "Dude, you're my bro, but get your own damn waffles."


	11. Let Me Dig a Little Deeper

"And Daddy said he wouldn't buy me the necklace that I wanted, because I just got one last week, so I said-"

"Okay, listen up," Santana said, interrupting Sugar's spiel. "Now is not the time for gossip. Now is the time to get shit done. As you can see," she gestured around the choir room, "we are trying to have rehearsal. So if you could kindly shut. Up. Until we are done, and then I might pretend to listen while you blather on about whatever rich girl problems you have."

Sugar nodded, chastened, and got into formation with everyone else.


	12. Nobody's Gonna See Us Go Crazy

The first step was checking the house. If anyone was home, Kurt and Tina would just sit on the couch and criticize reality TV. If they were alone, they'd leave their bags and phones downstairs and head to Kurt's room.

Kurt shut the door as Tina bounded over to the stereo system. Digging in the drawers, she pulled out a CD and popped it into the player. "Sandstorm" blared out of the speakers and the pair started bouncing around, waving their arms and wiggling their hips with no care for finesse.

Stress relief was a vital part of Nationals preparation.


	13. I'm Not Poetry

"And it- it pisses me off sometimes, you know?" Quinn said as Brittany brushed her hair. "I feel like I don't have a say in what happens with this club."

"So say something."

"It doesn't work like that," she said, rolling her eyes. "Rachel doesn't listen to reason or logic."

"So use songs," Brittany suggested. "Or cookies. She listens to those."

"What do you mean?"

"If you're angry, she'll just see that you're angry. She'll listen better if you're nice."

Quinn pondered her advice. "So I need to butter her up?"

"I don't think that'll work if she's a vegan."


	14. Sing All Night Long

"Tell me, dude," Puck said as he sat next to Joe. "You ever played with… extracurricular substances?"

Joe tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

"Do you smoke?"

"Cigarettes?" He wrinkled his nose. "No thanks."

"No, I- do you date Mary Jane?" When Joe still looked confused, Puck whispered. "Pot, weed, marijuana. Do you?"

"Oh!" Joe looked surprised. "No, of course not. Why?"

Puck shrugged. "Thought you might, with your dreads."

Joe stared like he was looking at Puck's soul. "Shouldn't you know not to judge people by how they look?"

Rubbing his mohawk, Puck shrugged again and turned away.


	15. Always Keep That Hunger

Rachel winced as she hit the ground yet again. She had always been the best at everything she tried, but advanced ballet was proving more than a little difficult. She resisted the urge to slap the ground in frustration, instead sitting back on her heels to catch her breath.

Mike offered her a water bottle and a hand up. She took the hand, only grabbing the bottle once she was on her feet. "I should have gotten that."

"It's only the second time you've tried that move."

"Exactly!"

Shaking his head, Mike reminded her, "Just keep trying. You'll nail it."


	16. Get Used To It

"How long are they going to be up there?"

Blaine flipped a page in the issue of Vogue Kurt had left in the living room. "Well, Kurt will change his clothes twice, change Rachel's three times, change his again, during which time Rachel will change back to what she originally had on, and they'll come downstairs arguing."

Finn stared blankly at the TV. "So… it'll be a while."

"Oh, most definitely." Flip.

They maintained a few more seconds of silence, before Finn spoke up. "Want to play a video game?"

Blaine dropped the magazine. "Do you have Mario Party 8?"


	17. But His Name Is Earl

"Hey boo, you got a minute?"

Artie glanced up at Mercedes from his locker. "For you, I've got three. What's up?"

"You've heard 'Coming Home'?"

"The Diddy song?" He shrugged. "Sure. Good song. Wanna do it?"

She nodded. "I've got Skylar's parts down, but I could use a rapper to handle Diddy's."

"Yeah, I can do that." He shut his locker and started rolling down the hall, Mercedes beside him. "Meet up at my place after school to practice?"

"Works for me. I just want to get everyone pumped for our sure to be triumphant return with a Nationals trophy."


	18. Crashed Into a Pot of Gold

"Come on, dude, just try it," Sam said as he shoved the napkin into his hands.

Rory eyed the food with a skeptical eye. "What is it?"

Sam grinned. "It's a corn dog. Meat on a stick, dipped in batter and fried. Classic American carnival food."

"Really? Then why aren't you eating one?"

He suddenly looked nervous in the flashing lights of the game booths. "Gotta stay fit, man."

Rory rolled his eyes and turned back to the concession stand. "One more corn dog, please."

"And some mustard." Rory looked at Sam over his shoulder. "It's worth it, trust me."


	19. Loosen Up Those Chains

Blaine fiddled with the dial on the radio, trying to find something with a decent beat that they could work with. Brittany was stretching leg practically touching her head in a pose that reminded him of a ballerina. She tended to fall over when she tried this, so Mike was spotting her nearby. Artie for his part was setting up his camera, ready to record once they got started with choreography.

The commercial playing faded out and a heavy club beat filled the living room. Blaine grinned at the other two, Brittany now bouncing on her toes to prime herself for dancing. Mike cracked his back and stepped right into the moment, moving with the music and not paying attention to what he was doing. Blaine and Brittany joined him, trying not to bump into each other and somehow managing it. Artie pulled the video wide, trying to catch everything they were doing.

Mike was the one who came up with this "brainstorming" to help choreograph numbers for New Directions. It was Artie's idea to film them. None of them would have thought of some of these moves if they hadn't seen their own selves doing them on the screen.


	20. Be Happy to Be Who You Are

"How do you think I'd look as a redhead?"

"Better than black, worse than brunette." Kurt looked up from where he was buffing his nails. "You looking to make a change?"

Quinn shrugged. "Maybe."

"Did something happen?"

"Why do you assume something happened?"

"The cut in New York, the pink, nose ring, Ryan Seacrest, ringing any bells?"

She glared at him. "What's your point?"

"My point is that you should come over, eat cheesecake, and tell me all about it," he offered. "If you still feel like it, I'll dig up my gloves and shower cap. Sound good?"

"Sounds great."


	21. Rewind Barney for the Eighteenth Time

Mercedes really should have known. When asked to recruit someone her age to help occupy kids during her church's picnic, her first thought was Quinn. But she was busy, so Mercedes grabbed her second choice, one that was going over even better than she though possible.

"One of my friends is a unicorn," Brittany said as she painted glitter onto a little girl's cheek.

"Really?"

"Mmhm. He's very special."

"Is he pretty? Like you and Mercedes?"

"The prettiest," Mercedes said. "Sweetie, why don't you go get a snack when you're done?"

"Okay! When are we going to watch the movie?"


	22. Open My Eyes

"Dad's dragging me to the temple in Columbus this week," Tina explained when the group was trying to make plans for a Tuesday night. Most of them brushed it off, but Joe turned around, curious.

"What kind of temple?"

"It's less of a temple and more of a Buddhist community center," she said. "Dad goes when he can, and Mom sticks with the synagogue."

"What about you?"

"A little of both. When I do good, I feel good; when I do bad, I feel bad. That's my religion."

Joe seemed impressed. "That's very wise."

"Thanks. I stole it from Lincoln."


	23. All Around the Floor

The beat was low and sultry, pulsing through the auditorium speakers. Mike spun Santana under his arm and pulled her close, pressing their bodies together and moving their hips to the sound. He led her in a series of complicated steps across the scuffed boards of the stage. Carefully, he braced his legs and secured her lower back, sending her into a dip.

As soon as the music faded, Santana snapped her teeth and growled up at him, causing Mike to laugh so hard he almost dropped her. Their girlfriends were going to be excited about being taken out dancing.


	24. Still Your Daddy's Baby

"Hey Sugar, what's up?"

"Nothing much, honeybunch," she quipped. "You going to practice?"

"Of course," Puck said. "Just thought I'd stop and offer a fine lady such as yourself an escort."

"Such a gentleman," she said, slipping her purse over her shoulder. "And so handsome."

"I don't know about gentleman," he said, even as he offered his arm, "but yeah, I'm hot."

"Oh, do you think you can drive me home today?" she asked. "Daddy's busy."

He shrugged. "Sure. Want to stop for ice cream on the way?"

Sugar bounced up on her toes, kissing his cheek. "You're the best."


	25. I'm So Much Cooler

"You bought the tickets, right?" Sam asked Artie as he slid into the seat next to him. "Because they're selling out fast."

"Mom drove me to the theater yesterday," Artie said. "We now have tickets to see The Avengers at midnight in 3D."

"Dude," Sam said, holding his fist up for a bump, one Artie happily gave. "We dressing up?"

"I'm all for it. Mind if I do Banner?"

"As long as I can be Thor," Sam countered. "The girls in my online Star Trek RPG don't think I can pull it off. They said pics or it didn't happen."


	26. I Have My Heroes

Rachel was pushing for another run through, but it was Finn's "One more and I'll spring for milkshakes!" that got everyone to line up again. Rory was in the back, trying to nail a move he kept missing when Finn came up to get his drink order.

"Dude, don't stress on it. You'll get it."

"Not fast enough," Rory muttered.

"So you make it up as you go along."

"Rachel won't kill me?"

Finn grinned. "She hasn't killed me yet. Even when we weren't dating. I'll practice with you later." He clapped a hand on Rory's shoulder. "Chocolate or vanilla?"


	27. It's Time to Get It On

It was just supposed to be coffee, but then the ambience music switched from generic soft pop to, of all things, Islands in the Stream. Blaine picked up the Kenny Rogers part right away, crooning to the best of his abilities. When Dolly cut in, Rachel pitched her voice in, doing her best to channel the diva.

All eyes of the Lima Bean were on them, and they fed on the attention. They were serenading and staring into each other's eyes soulfully, regardless of who they were actually dating. When they song ended, there was mixed applause and incredulous stares.


	28. Therapy Money Can't Buy

They hadn't quite been able to coordinate a proper Black Friday attack, but the sales were still going on Sunday as the girls walked into the mall.

"Mom gave me her credit card since I had to deal with Dad's sister this year," Quinn said. "Reward for good behavior."

"Was she rude about sophomore year?" Mercedes asked, flipping though a spinner full of scarves.

"Not outright, just acts disappointed." She pulled a lacy black number off the rack and showed it to Tina, who snatched it out of her hands and offered a light pink blouse in return.

"Dad gave me an extra two hundred dollars since Abuela wasn't there," Santana said from where she was slipping off a pair of red pumps. "Not sure if he felt sorry for me or was glad that he didn't have to listen to her complain about the turkey being dry."

"I'm sure he was just trying to make you feel better," Tina reassured her.

"Yeah, well, it didn't work," she snapped. She stood up in a pair of knee high, heeled boots. "These on the other hand…"

Mercedes whistled appreciatively. "Girl, you better buy those so I can steal them from you."


	29. I Finally Got to Hug You

"You're really tall."

Finn looked up at Sugar. She was standing a few inches in front of him as he sat and packed up his backpack at the end of rehearsal.

"Uh, yeah. I am."

"You're also really cute."

He blushed slightly at her forwardness and rubbed the back of his neck. "Thanks, but-"

"Unfortunately, I'll have to turn down your inevitable invitation to prom. I have other, important plans that night and couldn't possibly spare the time."

She smiled at him, patted his cheek, and turned on her heel, leaving him sitting in an empty choir room.

"I'm engaged?"


	30. Angels Everywhere Out on the Street

Puck jumped when the sandwich dropped in front of him. Mercedes pulled out the next chair and nodded pointedly at it. "Eat."

Not one to turn down apparently free food, he unwrapped it. As he was about to take a bite, Puck noticed green. "It's got lettuce."

"And when was the last time you had vegetables that weren't on a pizza?" When he didn't answer, she fixed him with a Look. "Exactly. Eat."

He took a bite. "If I'd had known it meant you making me lunch, I would have let you win at Rock Band sooner."

"Sure. Let me."


	31. Do What I Dare

Joe wasn't sure why Brittany had been staring at him for five minutes, but he thought it best to ask. "Can I help you?"

"Can I play with your hair?"

"Um…"

"It just looks cool and I really want to play with it."

She looked so earnest that Joe didn't have the heart to deny her. "Sure?"

With a bright smile, she slid forward and started twisting the dreads around each other, creating intricate braids. "You have really awesome hair. You should come to the next Glee girls' sleepover and we can have a lot of fun with it."

"Uh…"


	32. Those Things We Just Can't Talk About

Quinn was frustrated by the way the boys at the next table kept looking at her. She could handle it, but she wanted to enjoy a trip to the mall without the unwanted attention.

"Hey, sorry I'm late."

She startled as someone kissed her cheek, then grinned when Blaine joined her with his own tray of food court food. He tilted his head slightly towards the guys and she grimaced, nodding.

"You ready to shop with me?"

He threaded his fingers through hers, winking. "What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't tell you how beautiful you look?"


	33. That's What I Do

"They might hate you sometimes," Rachel said casually as she picked at her salad. "When you push for one more run through or one more rehearsal, they'll get this look like they want to mutiny, but they're too tired to put in the effort."

"I know that feeling," Tina said, smiling fondly. "What do I do then?"

"Ignore it." She stabbed a tomato. "They'll forgive you once they're holding the trophy."

"How do you know I won't go too far?" Tina fidgeted.

Rachel looked up. "Because you care about them. Because this club is your family, just like it's mine."


	34. Come Home in a Table Cloth

"Can you do me a favor?"

Rory looked up at Artie. "What is it?"

"You're going to that party with Brittany this weekend, right?" At Rory's nod, he continued. "Can you keep an eye on her? Especially if she starts drinking. Santana can't always be with her and some of the guys that will be there aren't really good guys. I don't want anything to happen to her if she starts stripping."

Rory's eyes widened slightly, but he nodded again. "Absolutely," he said, standing. "You still love her, don't you?"

"Of course," Artie said easily. "It's just a different love."


	35. You Can't Go Hating Others

"Hey Trouty Mouth!"

Sam turned around smiling. "Sup, Santana?"

Her face was a cross between a glare and a pout. "Why won't you get upset when I call you names? It's frustratingly nice of you."

"Because I know you," he said, shrugging. "The only one you're obviously nice to is Britt. You pretty much ignore everyone else, but you'll fight the people you have problems with and insult the people you like."

Santana's mouth dropped open for a moment before she closed it. "Don't go spreading lies like that," she snapped. But before she turned around, Sam saw a smile.


	36. Searching For the Promised Land

"If you can give me a general idea of the kind of style you like, I can come up with a decor that suits both of us in New York," Kurt said as they walked down the hall.

"Just remember I'm paying half," Mike reminded him, "so keep it affordable."

"Like I've paid full price for anything since I discovered eBay," Kurt dismissed. "Thanks again for agreeing to room with me. Rachel's insisting on the dorm thing and I didn't want to deal with that."

"I get it," Mike said. "She's great, but no way could I live with her."


	37. Come As You Are

No one was sure how Mr. Schuester had done it. They thought for sure that an all night slumber party for the club would have to take place at one of their houses. But when Joe had naively mentioned it as a team building exercise, their teacher had taken the idea and run with it.

As a result, the entire team piled into the choir room one Friday night, hauling pillows and blankets, pajamas bundled into backpacks, and snacks on the table. Mr. Schuester started the night by telling them they were supposed to stay in the room unless they were going to the bathroom. Of course, Santana and Brittany snuck out almost immediately. Everyone assumed they had gone to make out, but they came back tugging one of the gymnastics mats from the gym. "I'm not sleeping on cold tile," Santana bitched, and the rest of them had to concede the point. It only took a few minutes for Quinn to stare some of the boys into submission, sending Finn, Mike, and Sam to go get the other mats for the rest of them to sleep on.

(When they didn't come back in twenty minutes, they sent Mercedes to find them. She returned a few minutes later with three sheepish boys, three mats, and a story about how fast they could roll in them down the bleachers in the gym.)

They sat around for a while, telling stories and playing card games, before Rory asked if there were any ghost stories attached to the school. A few standard urban legends got thrown around, gradually getting spookier, when Blaine pointed to the door and asked if anyone else saw that shadow. Everyone told him he was seeing things and the conversation continued.

Until they heard Tina screaming.

She had she was going to the bathroom, but the noise was coming from the other end of the hall. Everyone ran out the door and approached the cafeteria, where they found a laughing Puck draped in a black blanket like a cloak, fending off irritated punches.

Being teenagers, they then decided that the best idea while being in a dark, empty school was of course to play hide and seek. Sugar was chosen to be it and everyone scattered. The rules were to stay indoors and only on the first floor. Some people were found quickly, but others, like Rachel and Kurt, had used years of hiding from bullies to their advantage and lasted quite a while before discovery. The game culminated in the search for Artie, who had apparently climbed out of his wheelchair for a special surprise. As the group approached the hallway towards the gym, he crawled out from behind a soda machine, pulling himself across the floor by his arms like something out of a horror movie. Most of them laughed, but a few screamed and turned tail to run, causing the rest of them to laugh even harder.

It didn't take long at all after that for them to fall into clusters and sleep. Mr. Schuester informed them that couples should not be sleeping together, just to keep some semblance of appropriateness. Thinking quick, Brittany grabbed Tina's leg and tugged her into her and Santana's blanket nest, claiming that it was okay as long as Tina was between them. Before the teacher could come up with a response to that, Mike crawled between Kurt and Blaine, saying that if he couldn't snuggle with his girlfriend, he was going to snuggle with his best friend. Blaine started giggling at that, while Kurt just rolled his eyes and complained that he was going to get cold. Hearing that, Sam curled up behind Kurt and threw a blanket over the four of them, telling him to hush up and spoon.

Puck for his part had laid out a pillow and blanket nearby so he could chat with them. He wasn't paying much attention when Sugar curled up with her head on his chest and by the time he noticed, she was sound asleep. He didn't have the heart to move her.

Artie had brought a camp bed to sleep in for safety's sake. Joe helped him set it up near the guys' pile as well and then unrolled his own sleeping bag nearby, just in case.

Rachel and Mercedes assumed slumber party positions near the other girls and, when they couldn't convince Kurt to leave his new space heaters, invited Quinn to take his usual spot. Finn pouted for a moment at not getting to cuddle with his fiance overnight, but eventually joined the guys, face mashed into his pillow.

If he woke up way too early the next morning to find his face closer to Rory's butt than his own pillow, that was between him and the security cameras.


End file.
